Modular drill offers best of both world

Kennametal engineers say they have taken the strength and versatility of the KSEM modular drill system and combined it with the ease of use and low feed forces of its smaller companion drill, KenTIP. The resulting fusion of these advanced holemaking technologies is the KenTIP FS, a 6 to 26 mm, 1.5 to 12xD modular drill that is said to be simple to use and tough enough to compete with solid carbide drills across a range of materials. The tool has a full solid carbide front, enabling it to withstand more heat and abuse than competing modular drill technologies.

The drill’s flutes are highly polished after final machining, a process that Kennametal has found greatly improves chip evacuation and reduces washout near the tip. And instead of the two coolant holes found in most modular drill designs, the KenTIP FS has four – two at the tip and two in the chip gullet directly behind the head. This multi-coolant approach provides greater coolant volume to prevent chip packing while simultaneously drawing heat away from the cutting zone, prolonging tool life and improving hole quality.
Inserts with HPL and HPC point styles have through-tool coolant channels to provide better lubrication in this area to overcome the issue. In steel though, it´s better to concentrate coolant to the rake and take the heat from the contact zone between chip and rake surface. As a result, Kennametal has eliminated the front coolant holes in its HPG geometry inserts to raise insert tool life and improve chip breakage. In addition, this avoids built-up edge and makes the insert more rigid, which allows higher penetration rates in steel applications.
For further information www.kennametal.com